mp -if i can offer a general 'down there' point (hoists Les Dawson bosom onto fence) - arnica Helped my recovery loads. Not sure about sex - dd2 now 6 mo and its just beginning to be nice again - but stiches healed loads better.

First time I had a big episiotomy and it was painful until I got pg with no.2 really (well, only `uncomfortable' by then). With no.2 I had a large tear, no episiotomy (they said it was bad and went further than the episiomoty scar but it took much less time to stitch so must have had internal stitches before). It healed much better than the episiotomy and sex hasn't been painful (not that we've done it much - too exhausted!).